Automatic door-operating device.



PATENTED AUG. 15, 1905n A. G. URBAN,

AUTOMATIG DOOR OPERATING DEVIGE.

APPLIOATION FILED SHIFT. 17, 1904.

(20.. mmwuoammzns. msmamm b c.

ALFRED (J. URBAN, OF BUXTON, IOWA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO NATHAN P.llERRINGTUN AND ONE-FOURTH TU ERIC F. BRUNVN,

OF BUX"ON, IOWA.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 15, 1905.

Application filed September 17, 1904. Serial No. 224,927.

To (I/ZZ/ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that l, ALFRED (I. U1{l3AN,{LCllllzen of the United States,residing at Buxton, in the county of Monroe and State of Iowa, haveinvented certain new and useful improvements in Automatic Door-OpeningDevices, of which the following is a specification, reference being hadtherein to the accompanying drawings.

. It is customary to providethepassage-ways or galleries of mines withheavy doors by which they are divided into sections for controlling theair or ventilation or for other purposes, and such doors must of coursebe opened and closed at proper times when the cars carrying the productsof the mines are to pass by the partitions of the passage-ways orgalleries afforded by such doors.

The object of this invention is to provide a simpleand efficientmechanism by which these partitioning doors may be automatically opened,locked in opened positions during the passage of the cars therethrough,and then be automatically ,closed after the cars have passed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view representing asection of a horizontal passage-way or gallery of a mine provided withdoors to be opened and closed, together with the present improvedautomatic mechanism for eifecting these operations. Fig. 2 is a detailperspective view of a frame for locking the doors in open positions.Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of that portion of the door-openingmechanism which is to be operated by an approaching car. Figs. 4; and 5are detail elevations showing the door opening and locking mechanism inconnection with a car-truck. Figs. 6 and 7 are detail views of theslotted plates forming the parts of the connecting-rods joining theopening mechanism to the doors.

Referring to the drawings, 12 13 denote heavy doors suitably hung in agallery or passage-way of a mine and which when closed serve asapartition in such passage-way or gallery, the latter being provided withrailwaytracks 14 for the trucks of cars 15. At one side of thepassage-way in the mine is arranged a vertical rock-shaft 16, which maybe journaled in any suitable manner, as by means of the yoke or frame 17and a suitable base 18. The shaft 16 is provided with a long arm 19, theouter or free end of which extends into the path of movement of the bodyof a car15, as denoted in Figs. 1 and 1-, so that a car approaching inthe direction denoted by the arrow 1 in Fig. 1 will strike the said arm.The rock-shaft 16 is provided with a lower arm 20, joined byaconnecting-rod 21 and a spring 22 to one arm of a lever 23, the otherarm of which is connected by a link or red 24: with the door 12 througha pin 25 on a plate or bottom piece 38, attached to the door 12. The endof the rod 24: adjacent to the door 12 is slotted where it engages thepin 25 for a purpose which will presently appear. The door 12 isconnected by a link 26 with an arm 27 on the door 13, so that when thedoor 12 is opened and closed corresponding movements will be imparted tosaid door 13.

Mounted adjacent to one of the rails 14 is a rocking frame comprising alongitudinal bar 28, having curved end portions, and a series of arms29, connecting said bar with a rod 30, which is mounted in brackets 31,suitably fixed to the floor of the passage-way or gallery. The bar 28 isof a suitable height to be engaged by the hub of a car-truck 32, so thatafter the body of an approaching car has engaged the arm 19 of thedoor-opening device and swung the doors open, as denoted by the curveddotted lines in Fig. 1, the hub of the car-truck will engage said bar 28and tilt the locking-frame from the position shown in Fig. 1 to theposition shown in Fig. 5, thereby bringing a projection 33 on one of thearms 29 behind the end of the arm 20 of the rockshaft 16, so as to lockthe doors in opened positions while the car or train of cars is passingthrough the open door, the hubs of the successive trucks of the car ortrain of cars continuing to engage the locking-bar 28 while the train ispassing. After the car or train of cars has passed through the opendoors the latter will be automatically closed by any suitable means, asby a spring or springs 34;, or, if desired, by suitable weights in awell-known manner.

For the purpose of opening the doors 12 13 when a car or train of carsis moving in the direction opposite that denoted by the arrow 1 in Fig.1 the opening device, comprising the rock-shaft 16, with its arms 19 and20, as also the rocking frame 28, with its appurtenances, are duplicatedat the other side of the doors, and in this instance the lower arm 20 ofthe opening device is connected with the door 12 by means of a two-partrod 35, preferably having a stiff pushing-spring or yielding connectionat 36. In other words, the mechanism last referred to for opening thedoors when a car is approaching in the direction denoted by the arrow 2in Fig. 1 will be substantially a duplicate of the mechanism firstdescribed with the lever 23 omitted.

The yielding connection between the arm 20 of the rock-shaft 16 and thedoors to be opened afforded by the spring 22 serves to cushion the shockor jar which would other- Wise result when an approaching car strikesthe arm 19 of the said rock-shaft. Also the yielding connection betweenthe two parts of the rod 35 afforded by the cushioning-spring at 36serves to cushion the jar or shock which would otherwise occur when acar is approaching in the opposite direction.

The slotted portions of the rods 2st and 35 entered by the pin 25 on thebottom piece 38 of the door 12 permit either of the door-openingmechanisms arranged at the opposite sides of the doors to be operatedwithout imparting movements to or affecting the other door openingmechanism and also permitting the doors to be opened by hand withoutaffecting or moving either of the said door-opening mechanisms.

Having thus described my invention, I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent 1. A door-opening mechanism for mines and the like, to beautomatically operated by an approaching car or train, consisting of thecombination with a door, of a vertical rockshaft located at one side ofthe car-track and provided with anarm to be engaged by an approachingcar, suitable connections between said rock-shaft and said door wherebythe latter will be opened when the said arm is swung aside by theapproaching car, a locking device, independent of the opening device andengaged by the car, said locking device serving to hold the door inopened position while the car or train of cars is passing, and a seconddoor connected with and operated by said first-named door.

2. A door-opening mechanism for mines and the like, to be automaticallyoperated by an approaching car or train, consisting of the combinationwith a door, of a vertical rockshaft located at one side of thecar-track and provided with an arm to be engaged by an approaching car,suitable connections between said rock-shaft and said door whereby thelatter will be opened when the said arm is swung aside by theapproaching car, a locking device independent of the opening device andoperated by the car, said locking device serving to hold the door inopened position while the car or train of cars is passing and comprisingan oscillating frame having an arm or projection to be engaged by hubsor parts of the car-trucks, and a second door connected with andoperated by said first-named door.

3. An automatic door-opening mechanism for mines and the like,consisting of the combination with a door, of a rock-shaft located atone side of a car-track and provided with an arm 19 to be engaged by anapproaching car, and a second arm 20, a rod connected with said secondarm at one end, a lever to which said rod is connected at the other end,a second rod connected with said lever and with a door to be opened, anda locking device arranged to be operated by an approaching car andserving to hold the door in opened position while the car or train ofcars is passing.

4. An automatic door-opening mechanism for mincs and the like,consisting of the combination with a door, of a rock-shaft located atone side of a car-track and provided with an arm 19 to be engaged by anapproaching car, and a second arm 20, a rod connected with said secondarm at one end, a lever to which said rod is connected at the other end,a second rod connected with said lever and with a door to be opened, anda locking device arranged to be operated by an approaching car andserving to hold the door in opened position while the car or train ofcars is passing, said locking device comprising an oscillating framehaving an arm or projection to be engaged by some part of the car-truck.

5. An automatic door-opening mechanism for mines and the like,consisting of the combination with a door, of a rock-shaft located atone side of a car-track and provided with an arm to be engaged by anapproaching car, and with a second arm, and connections between saidsecond arm and the door to be opened comprising a spring which willyield when the firstnamed arm is struck by the approaching car, tocushion the shock or jar which would otherwise result.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ALFRED C. URBAN.

lVitnesses:

HENRY CALvEn, GEO. XV. REA.

